This invention relates generally to automobile seat assemblies and, more particularly, to a composite pivot bushing and cover device for a rear seat hinge bracket.
An example of prior art vehicle seat bracket covers is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,426 issued Oct. 13, 1987 to Tagawa. The Tagawa patent discloses a vehicle seat whose seat back can be collapsed forward in relation to the seat cushion and wherein the projected upper end of a bracket located on the side of the seat cushion is covered by a hinge cover. The hinge cover is made of synthetic resin and separates the projected end of a bolt from the side of the seat back protecting its surface cover material from damage.
In a particular prior art arrangement depicted in FIG. 1 a vehicle body is partially shown at 10 providing a passenger compartment including a floor 12 and sides 13 supporting a rear seat assembly 14'. The seat assembly includes a seat cushion 15 and a pair of fold-down rear backrests or seat backs, i.e. a right-hand seat back 16' and a left-hand seat back 18'. The seat backs have a common center hinge assembly, shown at 17' in prior art FIG. 1A, intervening between the two seat backs adapted to engage a pair of inboard seat back bushings mounted to the seat back frames such as the seat back inboard bushings 19' , shown in FIG. 1. The seat backs 16' and 18' are illustrated in their un-assembled fold-down mode with the right-hand seat back 16' adapted for pivotal attachment to its associated right-hand outboard body wall mount 20. A corresponding left-hand outboard body wall mount is shown at 21 having an aperture 23 aligned on the seat back pivot axis.
The center hinge assembly 17' of prior art FIG. 1A includes a hinge bracket 24', a pivot pin sub-assembly 26', a hinge bracket cover 28', and a locking nut 29'. FIG. 1A shows, in exploded form, the pivot pin sub-assembly 26' aligned on seat back pivot axis 30' which passes through the center of hinge bracket bore 31'. The bore 31' is adapted to support the pivot pin sub-assembly 26' by means of its threaded sleeve 32' passing through the bore 31' such that sleeve annular raised bearing shoulder 33 ' is snugly positioned in the bore 31'. The threaded sleeve 32', formed with a hex head 34' and a stop collar 35', is concentrically fixed on a double-ended pivot pin 36'. Upon the nut 29' being engaged on the threaded sleeve 32' the pivot pin 36' is aligned on the hinge axis 30.
The sock-like cover 28', made of flexible material having a closed upper end 38' and an oppositely disposed open lower end, is sized and configured to substantially cover the hinge bracket 24' concealing it from view. The hinge bracket cover 28' has a pair of aligned apertures, the left-hand aperture being indicated at 40', adapted for receiving therethrough an associated end of the double-ended pivot pin 36'. The cover 28' is formed with a slit 42' running substantially the full length of the forward end wall to the cover open lower end constructed to allow the cover 28' to be fitted over the upper end of the hinge bracket 24' and substantially enclosing it from view. The total prior art assembly 17' consists of three parts which require installation during an automotive assembly line operation together with two difficult blind hole operations on the assembly line. It will be noted that a prior art angle brackets 44' are adapted to be secured by bolts 46' to associated outboard corners of the seat backs 16' and 18'. A hinge pins 48' is supported by each angle bracket 20 and 21 and is adapted to pass through bushings 49' for reception in their respective wall mount openings 22.